This invention relates to a magazine for storing chip type circuit elements of the type having no leads, such as chip capacitors, in a stacked condition, and for supplying such circuit elements in a one-by-one fashion.
Recently, the miniaturizaton of circuit elements has progressed significantly, and small sized circuit elements of the type having no leads, such as chip capacitors (also called "laminated capacitors"), have come into extensive use. Chip type circuit elements of this type have extraordinarily small outer dimensions. For example, a typical chip capacitor may have dimensions of about 3.2 mm (in length).times.1.6 mm (in breadth).times.0.6 mm (in thickness). It is therefore quite difficult to store or transport a large number of such chip capacitors in a predetermined arrangement. In addition, it is extremely inefficient to manually mount such circuit elements one-by-one on printed circuit boards as is done in the case of conventional circuit elements of larger sizes.
Accordingly, a magazine for storing and supplying circuit elements has recently been proposed in order to facilitate the storage, transportation and mounting of such chip type circuit elements on printed circuit boards.
Referring to FIG. 1, a known magazine 5 is illustrated. The magazine 5 has a structure wherein chip type circuit elements 1 are stored in a stacked arrangement and supported by a plug member 3 within a rectangular tube 2 which has a longitudinally extending bore whose transverse cross-section substantially conforms to the external shape of the chip type circuit element 1. In this case, the supply of the chip type circuit elements 1 is effected by pushing the plug member 3 by means of a thrust pin 4.
The illustrated prior art magazine 5 for storing and supplying the circuit elements, however, does not have the capability of separating the chip type circuit elements 1 individually and, accordingly, its use gives rise to a problem discussed below. By way of example, a chip capacitor has a light weight, typically on the order of 20 mg. For this reason, when a circuit element 1 such as the chip capacitor is to be supplied from the magazine 5, it is not uncommon for two circuit elements 1 adhered to each other to be discharged from the magazine upon pushing out the stack of the circuit elements by means of the thrust pin 4.